Henry C. Gardiner, a beef industry leader in seedstock genetics and owner of the Gardiner Angus Ranch, passed away Wednesday. He was 83.

Zoetis Inc. has partnered with Verified Beef LLC to support Reputation Feeder Cattle, a program for ranchers and cattle feeders that helps define feeder calf value by verifying industry-leading genetics and best practices.

Researchers at the University of Missouri (MU) are finding ways to extend the shelf life of ground beef. They have found that store lighting plays a role in how long meat retains the bright red color that shoppers favor. After price, consumers consider color when buying meat.

Consultants at the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation work with livestock producers on ranch solutions related to their operations.

If dinner takes more than 40 minutes to prepare, that’s too long for 31 percent of today’s consumers. If it takes an hour, the number jumps to 70 percent of consumers. “And there’s a whole lot of people that want it shorter than 40 minutes, especially on a Monday to Thursday night,” NCBA’s John Lundeen explains of cooking convenience. “They have more time on the weekend.”

Most Progressive Cattleman online readers have a decade or two before retirement.

Successful beef and dairy producers know that a big threat to newborn calves is failure of passive transfer (FPT) of immunity. Basically, it’s when calves don’t get enough natural disease protection passed to them from the dam.

Researchers at Colorado State University are investigating the weighty topic of antibiotic resistance – an issue with ramifications for global food safety and public health – by tracking the genetic footprints of drug-resistant bacteria.

A normal water supply is predicted for much of the West, while the Southwest, Sierra Nevada region and Pacific Northwest are beginning the year drier than normal, according to data from the first 2015 forecast of the USDA's National Water and Climate Center (NWCC).

Faced with volatile commodity markets and changing regulations and consumer needs, animal producers are operating in an increasingly complex world. To help them quickly respond in this dynamic environment, Cargill has expanded and renovated its Global Animal Nutrition Innovation Center in Velddriel, the Netherlands.